Dr Nick Phin, Deputy Director of the National Infection Service at Public Health England, said:

“Although these two cases of extensively resistant gonorrhoea have been successfully treated, contact tracing is underway to ensure there is no onward spread. This is a timely reminder of the importance of avoiding getting or passing on gonorrhoea.

“Everyone can substantially reduce their risk by using condoms consistently and correctly with all new and casual partners. Anyone who thinks they may have been at risk of getting an STI (sexually transmitted infection) should seek an STI screen at a sexual health clinic.”

The chief medical officer has warned that without action to cut reliance on antibiotics, Britain could end up in “the dark ages” where common operations become too dangerous to perform. Without antibiotics, 3 million operations such as caesareans and hip replacements could become life threatening, health officials warned.

Latest figures suggest that more than 2,000 deaths a year in the UK can be attributed to antibiotic-resistant infections.

Surveys suggest that around four in ten people expect to be prescribed antibiotics when they visit their GP for illnessses such as coughs and colds, even though the vast majority are caused by viruses, and will not be helped by drug treatment.